Pink Motor Scooter Week: The Cheap (Good) Mental Health Connection

Stressed out women the world over are very familiar with this term: Retail Therapy.  You know -the idea that it’s cheaper to go on a spending spree than it is to visit a psychiatrist.

It’s well known that a spending spree can give you that “shopper’s high” that makes your otherwise dull, grey world seem rosy for a precious few hours.  But what about the aftermath? Like the one were all now experiencing collectively as a nation.

So to me a session of Retail Therapy is not worth it.  It usually results in a financial hangover that will just get you even deeper into the dumps after that high wears off.

But still, we all need something to cheer us up every once in a while.  Even I do, and I’m a pretty cheerful person. Spending lots of money  just doesn’t seem like the smartest way to do it, though.

One thing that works for me is a spin around town on my paid-for pink motor scooter.  Usually I like to have a destination when I travel, to justify the costs, but my scooter is so fuel efficient that pleasure trips are completely guilt-free.

One of the cheering things about my motor scooter is that it seems to do a good job of spreading the happy happy to others, too.  When people see me zooming by, I often see the astonishment on their faces.  Lots of people smile and wave at me, and I always get lots of questions when I’m at the gas station or when I’m parking.  Really, it’s a great way to meet new people.

The other day I was zipping off to the library.  Parked on the side of the road was a scowling motorcycle cop with his radar gun trained on the oncoming motorists.  When I passed him (I wasn’t speeding, of course) I saw that he was looking at me with a big smile on his face.  I bet I saved a couple of people from getting a ticket that day.

It’s really hard to feel grumpy with the wind in your face, enjoying the scenery in a way you just can’t while in a car.

I’m not naive - it could be that some of those smiling faces are on people who are laughing at me, not with me (probably not, though, because pink motor scooters are clearly the epitome of COOLNESS:).  But so what - I’m still having a blast.  It’s funny, too, but the older you get the more comfortable you are in your own skin.  We all need to let our freak flag fly every once in a while, without caring what other people think. After all, as long as you’re not hurting yourself or anyone else, who cares?

So I say: Am I Borg?!? NO!!! I’m a Texas housewife with an affinity for scooter culture and proud of it - let ‘er rip!

P.S. Feel free to share the fun, Frugal things you like to do to let off steam.  I always like to try new things.